Thursday, September 7
Tucson, AZ
9 p.m.
Texas Tech Athletics
at
Arizona
Tech hits the road for Arizona Classic
September 06, 2023 | Women's Soccer
The Red Raiders face the Wildcats Thursday night
TUCSON, ARIZ. – Winners of five straight and riding an 11-match regular season unbeaten streak, Texas Tech soccer hits the road for the first time since Aug. 17 this weekend when they head to Arizona for the Arizona Classic.
The four-team event includes, Tech, UofA, Arizona State and Utah State.
In the opening match of the event on Thursday, Texas Tech will face Arizona, before the Red Raiders clash with Arizona State on Sunday. Both the match against Arizona and the one against Arizona State will be held at Arizona's Murphy Field at Mulchay Stadium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (5-0-1) vs. Arizona (2-1-2)
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 2023
TIME: 9 p.m. (CT)
LOCATION: Tucson, Ariz. (Murphy Field at Mulchay Stadium)
LAST TIME OUT:
The Red Raider offense struck for three quick first half goals while Madison White tied the program record for most career clean sheets in Texas Tech's 3-0 victory over Abilene Christian Sunday Afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex.
With the temperature close to triple digits, it was Texas Tech (5-0-1) who remained red-hot, handing the visitors of Abilene Christian (4-1-1) their first loss of the season.
The Tech offense provided the fireworks early, scoring just two minutes and nine seconds into the match. Armed with a multiple goal lead for the fifth consecutive match, White did the rest, recording a pair of saves her program-best 29th all-time clean sheet.
One match after recording a hat trick, senior Alex Kerr made her presence felt early when she made a strong run and slipped a pass to a wide-open Jillian Martinez. Hovering around 20 yards from goal, Martinez rocketed a left-footed shot into the right-side of the net.
The goal was special for Martinez as it was not only her first goal as Red Raider, but also her first career goal.
Just eight minutes later, the Red Raiders nearly doubled their lead when Kerr ripped a shot that ACU keeper Lili Ross was able to push away. After not conceding a goal for the first five matches, Ross allowed three goals and made four saves.
In the 19th minute, Tech quickly doubled its lead when Sam Courtwright ripped shot off the post. The rebound from the shot pinballed around the box and fell to Gisselle Kozarkski who buried her second goal of the season.
Armed with a 2-0 lead, Tech turned to its bench, who helped produce the decisive third goal. Following a strong through ball from defender Molly Skurcenski found a wide open Chloe Soto, Soto sliced through the Wildcat defense and swung a strong pass over to Northwestern State transfer Olivia Draguicevich.
Open in the middle of the 18, Draguicevich calmly ripped a shot into the back of the net. The goal was her 38th of her career, but first as a Red Raider.
Battling the heat and with a decisive 3-0 lead, the Red Raiders dug deep into the bench in the second half as eight of the Tech starters played 60 minutes or less.
With the win, Tech improves to 5-0-1 on the young season and now will take a 12-match regular season unbeaten streak (dating back to 2022) into next week's action.
QUICK KICKS:
• Tom Stone and the Texas Tech Red Raiders hit the road for the first time in 21 days on Thursday night when they head to Tucson for the Arizona Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. The weekend will include a pair of matches against the host Wildcats (Thursday) and the Sun Devils (Sunday). Tech and Arizona will be meeting for the third straight year.
• As a team the Red Raiders continue to produce in the opponents third of the field. Tech enters the week leading the country in both assists (30) and assists per game (5.0). Tech also sits inside the top-10 of the country in total goals (22) and points (74).
• Junior Ashleigh Williams also sits tied for the countries lead in goals (9). Williams who saw her four match multiple goal streak snapped against ACU, played just 38 minutes against ACU due to the excessive temperatures and the flow of the game. Williams also enters the week at No. 3 in the country in total points (21).
• Tech has outscored its opponents 22-3 so far this season through six matches. Tech has now scored at least three goals in five straight matches for the first time in program history. If Tech is able to score at least twice, the Red Raiders would score multiple goals in six straight matches for the first time since 1996.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
• Entering the match with a 2-1-2 mark, Arizona also enters Thursday's match on an unbeaten streak, as UofA hasnt lost in its last four matches. After suffering a tough 2-1 loss at Iowa State in the season opener the Wildcats have secured wins against Northern Arizona and Kent State as well as a pair of draws against GCU and Boise.
• Through the first five matches of the season, Arizona has scored 10 goals, outscoring its opponents 10-5 thus far. Senior forward Nicole Dallin has led the way for the Wildcats scoring a team-best five goals. Dallin has scored in all five games this season, equaling her goal total from a season ago.
• Local product and graduate student Hope Hisney has been the Wildcats starter in goal this season. Hisney has allowed just five goals in five matches, and has made 12 saves. A Third Team All-Pac 12 selection a season ago, Hisey eclipsed 300 career saves in her career. In the 1-0 win last season against Tech, Hisney made six saves.
• After being picked last in the 2022 preseason poll and finshing sixth, Arizona was picked sixth in the third under the direction of Becca Moros. Moros played for coach Tom Stone on the USWNT U-20 squad back in 2006.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders close out the weekend in Arizona on Sunday when they face Arizona State. First kick from Tucson is set for 11 a.m. (CT).
The four-team event includes, Tech, UofA, Arizona State and Utah State.
In the opening match of the event on Thursday, Texas Tech will face Arizona, before the Red Raiders clash with Arizona State on Sunday. Both the match against Arizona and the one against Arizona State will be held at Arizona's Murphy Field at Mulchay Stadium.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
MATCHUP: Texas Tech (5-0-1) vs. Arizona (2-1-2)
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 2023
TIME: 9 p.m. (CT)
LOCATION: Tucson, Ariz. (Murphy Field at Mulchay Stadium)
LAST TIME OUT:
The Red Raider offense struck for three quick first half goals while Madison White tied the program record for most career clean sheets in Texas Tech's 3-0 victory over Abilene Christian Sunday Afternoon at the John Walker Soccer Complex.
With the temperature close to triple digits, it was Texas Tech (5-0-1) who remained red-hot, handing the visitors of Abilene Christian (4-1-1) their first loss of the season.
The Tech offense provided the fireworks early, scoring just two minutes and nine seconds into the match. Armed with a multiple goal lead for the fifth consecutive match, White did the rest, recording a pair of saves her program-best 29th all-time clean sheet.
One match after recording a hat trick, senior Alex Kerr made her presence felt early when she made a strong run and slipped a pass to a wide-open Jillian Martinez. Hovering around 20 yards from goal, Martinez rocketed a left-footed shot into the right-side of the net.
The goal was special for Martinez as it was not only her first goal as Red Raider, but also her first career goal.
Just eight minutes later, the Red Raiders nearly doubled their lead when Kerr ripped a shot that ACU keeper Lili Ross was able to push away. After not conceding a goal for the first five matches, Ross allowed three goals and made four saves.
In the 19th minute, Tech quickly doubled its lead when Sam Courtwright ripped shot off the post. The rebound from the shot pinballed around the box and fell to Gisselle Kozarkski who buried her second goal of the season.
Armed with a 2-0 lead, Tech turned to its bench, who helped produce the decisive third goal. Following a strong through ball from defender Molly Skurcenski found a wide open Chloe Soto, Soto sliced through the Wildcat defense and swung a strong pass over to Northwestern State transfer Olivia Draguicevich.
Open in the middle of the 18, Draguicevich calmly ripped a shot into the back of the net. The goal was her 38th of her career, but first as a Red Raider.
Battling the heat and with a decisive 3-0 lead, the Red Raiders dug deep into the bench in the second half as eight of the Tech starters played 60 minutes or less.
With the win, Tech improves to 5-0-1 on the young season and now will take a 12-match regular season unbeaten streak (dating back to 2022) into next week's action.
QUICK KICKS:
• Tom Stone and the Texas Tech Red Raiders hit the road for the first time in 21 days on Thursday night when they head to Tucson for the Arizona Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. The weekend will include a pair of matches against the host Wildcats (Thursday) and the Sun Devils (Sunday). Tech and Arizona will be meeting for the third straight year.
• As a team the Red Raiders continue to produce in the opponents third of the field. Tech enters the week leading the country in both assists (30) and assists per game (5.0). Tech also sits inside the top-10 of the country in total goals (22) and points (74).
• Junior Ashleigh Williams also sits tied for the countries lead in goals (9). Williams who saw her four match multiple goal streak snapped against ACU, played just 38 minutes against ACU due to the excessive temperatures and the flow of the game. Williams also enters the week at No. 3 in the country in total points (21).
• Tech has outscored its opponents 22-3 so far this season through six matches. Tech has now scored at least three goals in five straight matches for the first time in program history. If Tech is able to score at least twice, the Red Raiders would score multiple goals in six straight matches for the first time since 1996.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
• Entering the match with a 2-1-2 mark, Arizona also enters Thursday's match on an unbeaten streak, as UofA hasnt lost in its last four matches. After suffering a tough 2-1 loss at Iowa State in the season opener the Wildcats have secured wins against Northern Arizona and Kent State as well as a pair of draws against GCU and Boise.
• Through the first five matches of the season, Arizona has scored 10 goals, outscoring its opponents 10-5 thus far. Senior forward Nicole Dallin has led the way for the Wildcats scoring a team-best five goals. Dallin has scored in all five games this season, equaling her goal total from a season ago.
• Local product and graduate student Hope Hisney has been the Wildcats starter in goal this season. Hisney has allowed just five goals in five matches, and has made 12 saves. A Third Team All-Pac 12 selection a season ago, Hisey eclipsed 300 career saves in her career. In the 1-0 win last season against Tech, Hisney made six saves.
• After being picked last in the 2022 preseason poll and finshing sixth, Arizona was picked sixth in the third under the direction of Becca Moros. Moros played for coach Tom Stone on the USWNT U-20 squad back in 2006.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders close out the weekend in Arizona on Sunday when they face Arizona State. First kick from Tucson is set for 11 a.m. (CT).
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's SoccerParsons PK/Nguyen Save
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